Thai soups, a complete guide to regional traditions and techniques
- InFusion
- 6 days ago
- 9 min read
Thai soups, a vast and diverse culinary tradition
When people think of Thai soups, tom yam kung and tom kha kai are usually the first that come to mind. These well-known dishes are only an introduction to a much wider universe. Soups hold an essential place in Thai cuisine and are enjoyed from breakfast to dinner.
Despite their importance, this diversity remains largely unfamiliar to visitors. Many specialised soup vendors do not display any menu at all, or if they do, it is often written exclusively in Thai. Their opening hours may also differ from Western dining habits, which makes these soups less accessible to newcomers.
This article explores a structured and remarkably rich culinary field. It presents the main families of Thai soups, offers a detailed focus on Tom Yam, provides a regional overview, and concludes with key technical aspects to master.
The main families of Thai soups
Rice soups
Rice soups are complete meals traditionally eaten for breakfast. They are also served to people who are tired or unwell, as they provide warmth and energy. Two categories coexist, khao tom and congee, known in Thai as jok.
Khao tom is prepared with perfectly cooked long-grain rice and can be made with meat or fish. Congee, jok, is a porridge in which the rice, usually a mixture of long-grain rice and sticky rice, is cooked until it breaks down completely. The two dishes therefore have very different textures. Khao tom is versatile and may include meat, such as pork ribs, or fish. Congee is more traditionally made with pork meatballs and offal, and it is served with a soft-boiled egg and Chinese-style dough fritters known in Thailand as patongko.
The tradition of rice-based soups is ancient and widespread throughout China and Southeast Asia, and more broadly across all rice-growing regions of Asia. Nourishing, economical and easy to eat, rice soups long formed a staple breakfast, especially in rural and working-class households. They remain very common today, even though morning habits have diversified considerably.
Egg noodle soups, the Ba Mi tradition
Egg noodle soups, known as ba mi, are firmly rooted in Sino-Thai culinary heritage. They are prepared with egg noodles, either fresh or dried. These soups form a complete dish, typically composed of:
green vegetables such as bok choy or Chinese broccoli;
meat, most often pork, marinated and thinly sliced, added just before serving. The well-known red barbecued pork, mu deng, is frequently used in this type of soup;
wontons, often prawn-based, which may or may not be combined with meat;
a garnish of fresh herbs, mung bean sprouts and fried garlic.
They are generally served as soups, although this family of dishes also exists in a dry version.
Rice noodle soups, the Kuai Tiao tradition
Rice noodle soups form a large and diverse family found throughout the country and particularly popular in Bangkok. They use rice vermicelli, thin rice noodles, wide fresh rice noodles, or even triangular or square dried noodles. These soups may be prepared with a clear broth or a more complex base, sometimes combined with fermented pastes or specific seasonings. They are the foundation of the most common street soups.
The variety of these preparations is so great that it is difficult to establish a precise classification. It is therefore easier to highlight a few emblematic soups and their main characteristics. Each of these soups forms its own sub-family, with numerous variations.
Boat noodles have a dark and opaque colour and are prepared with blood, most often pork blood, although beef versions exist. As with egg noodle soups, they are served with green vegetables and meat, either as meatballs or sliced offal, and garnished with fresh herbs and fried garlic.
Rad na are made with wide fresh rice noodles and exist both as a soup and as a stir-fried dish where the sauce is more reduced. Their distinctive feature is a sauce thickened with tapioca starch. Classic versions include Chinese broccoli, shiitake mushrooms and pork, but rad na are also very popular with fish and seafood.
Kway jap soups are also particularly distinctive. Their dried noodles, initially triangular or square, curl into tubes as they cook. As with the previous examples, they reflect Chinese culinary heritage. Variations exist, but the most common version includes pork, often belly and offal, hard-boiled eggs, green vegetables and seasonings such as dark soy sauce, cinnamon and star anise.
Finally, yen ta fo soups are among the most beloved. Their hallmark is a pink or red colour of varying intensity, produced by fermented tofu and enhanced with crushed chillies. They always contain fish and or seafood, sometimes fresh, sometimes in the form of fish balls, or a combination of both. These are served with green vegetables, often morning glory, and fried tofu. The garnish typically includes fresh herbs, fried garlic and fried wonton skins. Various types of fresh or dried noodles may be used.
If you are interested in the different types of noodles and their uses in Thai cuisine, you can read our article dedicated to Pad Thai, noodles and rice.
Coconut milk and cream soups
Coconut cream soups form a popular family.
Several of them belong to the tom kha sub-family. In Thai, tom refers to soup and kha refers to galangal. Galangal is therefore the defining ingredient and must clearly infuse the whole preparation. Lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves are also part of the aromatic base. Fresh chillies are added at the end of cooking, but this soup is not meant to be spicy. It is mild and rich thanks to the addition of coconut milk or coconut cream, with a slight sour note from tamarind. The best-known version is the chicken soup tom kha kai, although family recipes may use other ingredients such as banana blossom.
Other soups known as tom kati, made with coconut milk or cream, are also popular. They are often based on seafood or include dried prawns, sometimes combined with shrimp paste. These recipes are particularly characteristic of the South.
Clear soups, the Tom Jued family
Tom jued refers to vegetable, meat or mushroom soups. They have consistent characteristics that distinguish them from other families: a clear broth, no chilli, a predominantly salty taste using salt or soy sauce rather than fish sauce, and a moderate use of aromatic herbs. Leaf celery is typically associated with these soups. Mushrooms are common, especially fresh shiitake, which are highly appreciated for their fragrance.
Tom jued are easy to enjoy and suitable for the whole family. A traditional example is stuffed cucumber soup.
Sour and spicy soups
This large family includes the famous tom yam kung, although not all sour and spicy soups are tom yam. Among them are tom som, literally “sour soups”, which often contain fish and tamarind and sometimes turmeric. These turmeric-based variations are particularly characteristic of Southern Thailand.
Tom sep are also sour and very spicy soups. They share certain aromatic elements with tom yam, such as lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, but differ through the addition of roasted sticky rice powder, a typical ingredient of Isan cuisine. They are most commonly prepared with beef, using cuts that include cartilage and offal, which give them a deep flavour. Pork versions also exist, including those made with pork ribs. The central idea of this soup is to use ingredients with strong flavours that lend themselves well to a highly seasoned broth.
Focus on Tom Yam, a culinary institution of Thailand
Tom yam kung is the most famous Thai soup. It belongs to the family of sour and spicy soups and to the tom yam sub-family. These soups are defined by a characteristic aromatic base of lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves, sometimes complemented with coriander root. These ingredients are pounded to release their flavour but kept in large pieces so they can be removed easily before serving. Their purpose is to infuse the broth, not to be eaten.
This large family relies on the essential balance between sour, sweet, salty and spicy. The sour element comes from lime juice or tamarind juice. Sweetness is provided by sugar, which is widely used in Thai cooking. Saltiness comes mainly from fish sauce. Some variations use a chilli paste called nam prik pao, which is salty, mildly spicy and slightly sweet and sour. Different recipes also play with a variety of acidic ingredients such as preserved lime, tamarind leaves or certain sour fruits such as salak, also known as snake fruit.
Tom yam kung, the prawn version, is the best known internationally, but tom yam is often prepared with fish, mixed seafood or even chicken. Older and less common versions are made with dried fish. Beyond the main ingredients, the broth determines the character of the soup. There are several types, including clear broth (tom yam nam sai), broth enriched with milk or non-dairy cream (tom yam nam khon), and coconut milk broth (tom yam kati).
Soups across the regions of Thailand
Northern Thailand
Northern soups are generally clear, strongly scented with mountain herbs and low in sweetness. They are defined by the absence of coconut cream and rely on robust leaves, vegetables and aromatics. Family-style chicken or vegetable soups are common. Examples include mustard leaf and flower soup, tjo phak kat, and the spiced chicken soup yam chin kai.
If you would like to learn more about the gastronomy of Northern Thailand, you can read our full article on the cuisines of the North to understand their origins and history.
Isan, Northeastern Thailand
Isan cuisine is marked by bold, salty and intensely sour flavours. Soups are often spicy and frequently include tamarind. This region is home to the tom sep mentioned earlier, as well as tom klong, a soup closely related to tom yam that shares the same aromatic base but is made with dried fish.
If you would like to learn more about the cuisine of Northeastern Thailand, you can read our complete article on Isan cuisine and discover how history, climate and cultural exchanges have shaped its emblematic dishes.
Central Plains
The Central Plains are the birthplace of tom yam and tom kha. Soups here present a carefully balanced interplay of sour, sweet and salty. The region also offers a wide variety of noodle soups, whether made with egg noodles or rice noodles, a legacy of Sino-Thai culinary traditions. It is undoubtedly the part of Thailand where soups are most represented in everyday meals and where their diversity is the greatest.
If you would like to learn more about the cuisine of the Central Plains and royal Thai cuisine, you can read our full article Cuisine of the Central Plains and Royal Thai Cuisine, Terroirs, Influences and Refinement.
Southern Thailand
Southern soups are noticeably spicier and often include seafood. They favour strong sour notes, typically brought by tamarind or certain acidic fruits. A characteristic example is octopus soup with tamarind leaves, plameuk yak tom bai makham. Coconut milk soups such as tom kati pak liang, made with coconut milk and melinjo leaves, are also highly appreciated.
If you would like to learn more about the cuisine of Southern Thailand, you can read our complete article on Southern cuisine, known for its aromatic intensity and coastal influences.
Technical tips for mastering Thai soups
As shown above, Thai soups are extremely diverse. It would be difficult to provide universal advice, but the following basic principles will help you achieve a well-balanced and flavourful result.
A good broth as the foundation
A clear broth is essential. It must be cooked at a very gentle temperature in order to remain transparent. Cooking it at too high a heat will make it cloudy. Salt is never added, so that the broth remains versatile. Broth can be made from chicken bones, pork bones, fish heads and bones, or prawn heads and shells, depending on the type of soup you are preparing. You will find broth recipes freely available on our blog.
Controlling the temperature when using coconut cream
Coconut cream must never boil. At high temperature, the fat separates and forms an oily layer on the surface. To maintain a smooth and homogeneous texture, coconut cream or coconut milk should be added at the end of cooking, stirred quickly, and the pot removed from the heat before it returns to a simmer.
Fried garlic, an essential finishing touch
Fried garlic is served with rice soups and noodle soups, providing an essential aromatic note. The small Thai garlic cloves do not need to be peeled. The garlic should be fried until lightly coloured, then left to continue cooking in the hot oil off the heat. Overcooking will make it bitter. It is served together with its oil, usually one or two spoonfuls per person.
Going further
Thai soups hold an essential place in the country’s gastronomy and reflect the remarkable culinary diversity of its regions. You can find thirty traditional recipes in our book Soups, along with many additional preparations in each of our regional cookbooks. Our blog also offers a wide selection of recipes freely accessible. Finally, you can learn how to prepare these soups during our cooking classes on Koh Samui.
If you have any questions about recipes, ingredients, techniques or Thai culinary culture, feel free to contact us or leave a comment below this article. We always reply with pleasure.
Comments